Caribbean Energy War: Venezuela Cuts Gas Deals

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Venezuela’s explosive accusation that tiny Trinidad and Tobago helped the United States seize its oil tanker has torn apart decades of Caribbean energy cooperation.

Story Highlights

US forces seized Venezuelan oil tanker Skipper with 2 million barrels of crude in international waters on December 10, 2025
Venezuela accused Trinidad and Tobago of complicity and immediately canceled all natural gas agreements between the nations
The seizure represents the first time the US has captured a Venezuelan-departing vessel, escalating beyond previous Iranian tanker cases
Approximately 30 similar shadow fleet vessels now face potential seizure, threatening to cripple Venezuelan oil exports

Caribbean Neighbors Turn Against Each Other

The December 10 seizure of the oil tanker Skipper sparked an immediate diplomatic crisis that shattered the energy partnership between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. Within hours of the US Coast Guard, Marines, FBI, and DHS boarding the vessel in international waters between Grenada and Trinidad, Caracas issued a blistering statement accusing Port of Spain of participating in what it called “international piracy.” The response was swift and devastating for Trinidad’s energy security.

Venezuela’s foreign ministry canceled every natural gas agreement with Trinidad and Tobago, ending a crucial energy relationship that had helped power the island nation’s economy. The accusation came without specific evidence of how Trinidad allegedly assisted the operation, but the geographic proximity of the seizure to Trinidad’s waters made the island an easy target for Maduro’s fury.

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Shadow Fleet Operations Exposed Under US Pressure

The Skipper represented everything the Trump administration sought to destroy in Venezuela’s oil smuggling network. Originally named Adisa, the vessel had been sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022 for transporting Iranian oil through networks linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and Russian oligarch Viktor Artemov. The tanker departed Puerto José, Venezuela, on December 4 with approximately 1.8 to 2 million barrels of PDVSA crude oil.

Energy expert Francisco Monaldi from Rice University noted the seizure’s unprecedented nature, marking the first time US forces had captured a Venezuelan-departing tanker with a Venezuelan crew. Unlike previous Iranian cases, this operation targeted Venezuela’s state oil company directly, signaling an escalation in America’s economic warfare against the Maduro regime. The timing proved particularly dramatic, as US forces executed the seizure on the final day before their federal warrant expired.

Venezuela accuses Trinidad and Tobago of taking part in US seizure of oil tanker https://t.co/U1ouuAQEwJ pic.twitter.com/5u0fl9RANz

— PMA Accountants (@PMA_Accountants) December 15, 2025

Trump’s Caribbean Drug War Strategy

The seizure occurred amid the largest US Navy deployment in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis, as the Trump administration launched an aggressive campaign to strangle drug trafficking routes from South America. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem directly linked the oil tanker seizure to anti-drug efforts during House testimony, claiming the operation prevented “lethal doses of cocaine” from reaching American communities.

President Trump confirmed the seizure and declared that America would keep both the tanker and its valuable cargo, estimated to be worth over $100 million. This represents a significant escalation from previous sanctions enforcement, moving beyond financial penalties to direct confiscation of Venezuelan state assets. Attorney General Pam Bondi released dramatic video footage of the boarding operation, emphasizing that the crew offered no resistance and no casualties occurred.

Economic Warfare Intensifies Across the Region

The Skipper seizure sent shockwaves through Venezuela’s remaining oil export network, with approximately 30 similar sanctioned vessels now vulnerable to US interdiction. Venezuelan crude exports have plummeted as tanker operators avoid the increasingly dangerous waters around the South American nation. The economic impact extends beyond Venezuela, as black market oil buyers now demand significantly larger discounts to compensate for seizure risks.

Trinidad and Tobago finds itself caught in an impossible position, losing crucial natural gas supplies from Venezuela’s Dragon gas field while facing implicit pressure from the United States to support sanctions enforcement. The island nation’s energy security now hangs in the balance as regional powers use economic relationships as weapons in their broader geopolitical struggle.